Dr. Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis Missouri to Vivian and Bailey Johnson. As a result of divorce, Angelou was sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas with her brother and paternal grandmother. She returned to St. Louis at age eight, where she was exposed to harsh discrimination and violent rape by her mother's boyfriend. Although the first ten years of her life were dangerous, unstable, and violent, Angelou did not remain within the constraints of her misery. Angelou broke free from her dark past and illuminated a bright future as a renowned writer, dancer, professor, poet, actress, film director, civil rights acitivist, and mother
Maya Angelou is often proclaimed as a renaissance woman, for she has acquired and mastered several skills. Dr. Angelou has lent her creativity and drive to several industries. Early on Dr. Angelou displayed independence and determination. At the mild age of 14, she became San Franciso's first African American female car conductor. Soon after her high school graduation, Angelou gave birth to her only son, Guy. She lived as a working single mother, but her passion for the performing arts did not allow her to stop there. Within that decade Angelou toured in Europe for the opera production, Porgy and Bess, studied danced with the world renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and became an independent recording artist.
Angelou lived the first half of her life in a time of social unrest, injustice, and segregation. Her influence and leadership resulted in avid participation in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1959, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. requested for her to become the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Although Angelou
was involved in eliminating America's turmoil, she had much
more of the world to see and experience. In 1960, Dr. Angelou
moved to Cairo, Egypt where she became editor of The Arab
Observer. In 1961, she moved to Ghana. She taught at the
University of Ghana's School of Music and worked as the feature
editor for The African Review and also wrote for The Ghanian
Times. Her travels resulted in fluent French, Spanish, Italian,
Arabic, and Fanti. Although her time abroad was rewarding
Malcolm X called her home to assist him in building his
Organization of African American Unity. Shortly after Angelou's
return, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were
assassinated.
Angelou's traumatic losses did not slow her brilliant work. In 1970, famed writer Alex Baldwin influenced Angelou to share her story. Baldwin's influence led Angelou to international praise and awards for her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Not only did Dr. Angelou trailblaze the realm of autobiographical work, she also played a major role in television and film. Her screenplay Georgia Georgia was the first to be filmed by an African American woman and was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Years later, he directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta. Dr. Angelou's artistry has received countless awards and great notoreity for her artistry, which include: 3 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Arts, 30 honorary degrees.
Maya Angelou's dynamic impact is given to society in lectures, songs, poems, books, articles, and leadership. Her strides to better herself have made her a dominating voice for not only the black community, but for humanity. Much of Maya Angelou's story is told in her autobiography series, but the story of women she has touched, inspired, and motivated is left for the world to tell her. America's wealthiest African American woman, Oprah is one of many women that has been inspired by Angelou's story. Dr. Angelou's awards, accomplishments and tribulations only attest to half the woman Angelou truly is. Her story has taught me that faith, determination and guidance can lead one to overcome any obstacle and ultimate success. Dr. Angelou was one of the first African American women to share her story with the world. Her story brought communities of people together and served as a testimony that we are all connected as a human race. Today, Dr. Angelou's voice is still ringing out throughout America as she travels eighty times a year to speak and teaches as a professor at Wake Forest University.
Dr. Angelou's famous appearance and poem at Clinton's Inauguration (1993).
Maya Angelou reciting her famous poem "And Still I Rise."
M
Angelou lived the first half of her life in a time of social unrest, injustice, and segregation. Her influence and leadership resulted in avid participation in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1959, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. requested for her to become the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Although Angelou
was involved in eliminating America's turmoil, she had much
more of the world to see and experience. In 1960, Dr. Angelou
moved to Cairo, Egypt where she became editor of The Arab
Observer. In 1961, she moved to Ghana. She taught at the
University of Ghana's School of Music and worked as the feature
editor for The African Review and also wrote for The Ghanian
Times. Her travels resulted in fluent French, Spanish, Italian,
Arabic, and Fanti. Although her time abroad was rewarding
Malcolm X called her home to assist him in building his
Organization of African American Unity. Shortly after Angelou's
return, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were
assassinated.
Angelou's traumatic losses did not slow her brilliant work. In 1970, famed writer Alex Baldwin influenced Angelou to share her story. Baldwin's influence led Angelou to international praise and awards for her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Not only did Dr. Angelou trailblaze the realm of autobiographical work, she also played a major role in television and film. Her screenplay Georgia Georgia was the first to be filmed by an African American woman and was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Years later, he directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta. Dr. Angelou's artistry has received countless awards and great notoreity for her artistry, which include: 3 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Arts, 30 honorary degrees.
Maya Angelou's dynamic impact is given to society in lectures, songs, poems, books, articles, and leadership. Her strides to better herself have made her a dominating voice for not only the black community, but for humanity. Much of Maya Angelou's story is told in her autobiography series, but the story of women she has touched, inspired, and motivated is left for the world to tell her. America's wealthiest African American woman, Oprah is one of many women that has been inspired by Angelou's story. Dr. Angelou's awards, accomplishments and tribulations only attest to half the woman Angelou truly is. Her story has taught me that faith, determination and guidance can lead one to overcome any obstacle and ultimate success. Dr. Angelou was one of the first African American women to share her story with the world. Her story brought communities of people together and served as a testimony that we are all connected as a human race. Today, Dr. Angelou's voice is still ringing out throughout America as she travels eighty times a year to speak and teaches as a professor at Wake Forest University.
Dr. Angelou's famous appearance and poem at Clinton's Inauguration (1993).
Maya Angelou reciting her famous poem "And Still I Rise."
Works Cited
"Biography ." Maya Angelou: Global Renaissance Woman. 2010. 23 Feb 2010. <http://mayaangelou.com/bio>.
"Maya Angelou ." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Feb 2010. 23 Feb 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou>.
"Maya Angelou." Poets.org: From the Academy of American Poets. 2010. 24 Feb 2010. <http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/87>.
"Maya Angelou Biography." Bio. True Life. 2010. 26 Feb 2010. <http://www.biography.com/articles/Maya-Angelou-9185388>.